Highlights

• The rise of Twitch streaming has solidified the place of horror games in pop culture, and gaming is an optimal medium for delivering a delightful scare.
• Amazon Luna prioritizes quality over quantity when it comes to horror titles, constantly updating its library to provide the best selection.
• Alien: Isolation, Castlevania Anniversary Collection, and Zombi are among the best horror games on Amazon Luna, offering intense experiences and capturing the spirit of the genre.

Once in a while, nothing hits the spot like an interactive fright. The rise of Twitch streaming guarantees that horror games have a place in pop culture, but the genre has forever had a talent for tapping into a primal emotion in audiences. In a controlled and harmless setting, fear can be exhilarating, and gaming might just be the optimal medium to trigger a delightful scare.

A cloud gaming service that is available in the United States and comes with a selection of subscription channels, Amazon Luna prioritizes quality over quantity when it comes to horror titles. The platform is constantly updating its library too, so certain games could be removed over the next months. From psychological terrors to strange retro releases, let's take a look at the best horror games on Amazon Luna.

The average length of each game's story was taken from HowLongToBeat.com.

Alien: Isolation

PC Metascore: 81

For the longest time, a great Alien horror game seemed like a pipe dream. Then, Alien: Isolation happened. This 2014 game accomplished something that the Alien franchise has struggled to achieve since the 1979 sci-fi movie: it made a Xenomorph intimidating again.

Amanda Ripley, Ellen Ripley's daughter and the game's protagonist, spends the majority of the campaign hiding from the large, powerful, and vicious creature. Sure, Amanda does eventually get some tools to fight back, but there is never any doubt about who is the predator and prey. While the genre tends to produce relatively short experiences, Alien: Isolation is an exception since the campaign can easily last more than 20 hours. Impressively, the game succeeds in maintaining its momentum despite this hefty runtime, which serves as a testament to its extremely sound foundations.

Alien is one of the best horror movies of all time and Alien: Isolation is one of the scariest horror games on Amazon Luna and in all gaming.

Castlevania Anniversary Collection

Switch Metascore: 81

Konami's Castlevania games are not traditional horror games, at least not in the sense that they are scary. The 8-bit and 16-bit titles included in this collection are not going to give someone nightmares, but their difficulty might keep that player up for a few extra hours as they try to overcome the terrors held within these campaigns. Aesthetically, Castlevania is laced with horror imagery, be it gothic castles, creepy monsters, or complex narratives soaked in death and suffering.

The Castlevania Anniversary Collection presents the franchise's earlier years in a single package, and the quality is pretty consistent for the most part. Except for Castlevania 2: Simon's Quest, The Adventure, and Belmont's Revenge, all the games in the collection are good, with some entries like Super Castlevania 4 being downright masterpieces.

Zombi (Only On PC)

PC Metascore: 65

Ubisoft is not exactly known for horror games, but the company has published a couple of nightmarish titles over the years. Zombi is probably the publisher's most famous foray into the genre, provided a player is fine with Ubisoft's open-world formula. Starting life as a Wii U exclusive, the game eventually made its way to other systems, including PC; as the original version made clever use of the Wii U GamePad, the port had to revamp mechanics that used the peripheral.

Zombi is an enjoyable zombie-themed horror game that is a decent alternative to something like Dead Island or Dying Light. Set in London, Ubisoft's title focuses on survival and limits players' defensive and offensive options during the campaign's opening hours. While the walking dead are overexposed as an enemy type, the zombies in this game are quite terrifying due to their aggressive natures.

Zombi cannot be streamed through Amazon Luna, but Ubisoft+ subscribers who game on PC also get access to Ubisoft Connect's downloadable titles. Zombi is one of these games.

Dusk

PC Metascore: 88

Describing Dusk as horror might be a bit of a stretch since the retro-style shooter is never scary, nor does it try to be. That said, the game is drenched in horror iconography, be it the labyrinthian rural setting, the demonic imagery smeared across the walls, or the myriad of monstrosities that exist within this world. Even though it will not inspire many nightmares, Dusk is very much an experience fit for Halloween night.

More importantly, Dusk is an awesome first-person shooter that harkens back to the days of Blood and Doom. This is not just a rehash of familiar run and gun tropes either as Dusk uses these legends of the genre as fuel to craft something that is fully its own.

Resident Evil 2 (2019)

PC Metascore: 89

By 2019, Capcom had revitalized interest in its legendary horror property through the release of Resident Evil 7, an entry that brought the franchise back to its horror roots. As good as Ethan's debut scare-fest is, the game's utilization of a first-person perspective means that it might struggle to scratch the itch of a long-time fan who just wants a traditional Resident Evil experience.

In 2019, Capcom released Resident Evil 2, a remake that caters specifically to those people who yearned for something closer to the classic PS1 titles. Now, this version plays almost nothing like 1998's RE2, understandably so since that title is antiquated in plenty of areas, but the remake does a stellar job of capturing the spirit of the original project. Featuring brilliant visuals, tight gameplay, and an overabundance of startling moments, 2019's RE 2 is a modern masterpiece and one of the best horror games of the last few years.

Tormented Souls

PC Metascore: 75

Amazon Luna has Resident Evil 2, which gives the survival horror classic a modern makeover. The 2019 release is among Capcom's greatest achievements, and it is arguably the best horror game on Luna; however, if someone is seeking another experience that harbors back to the franchise's golden years, they should check out Tormented Souls.

A love letter to horror gaming's legacy, the indie release overcomes a few rough edges through sheer charm and a few proper scares. The game nails its atmosphere, delivering a genuinely tense experience that rarely lets up. Tormented Souls is not for the faint of heart either, both in terms of genuine frights and difficulty.

I Am Alive (Only On PC)

PC Metascore: 66

Describing I Am Alive as "horror" is a stretch, but an exception will be made since the game is classified as such on Ubisoft Connect. Debuting to a mixed reception, this 2012 title did not really leave a long-lasting impression, although that does not mean the game is without value. Set in a post-apocalyptic hellscape, I Am Alive's map focuses on verticality, with climbing serving as a central mechanic. Filled with crumbling buildings and abandoned vehicles, the game's world is impressive and immersive.

Unlike Assassin's Creed, I Am Alive utilizes a stamina system that dictates how far the protagonist can climb. Running out of stamina comes with serious consequences, primarily death or a reduction in the size of the metric's meter. The game also features melee and ranged combat, both of which are passable but not great.

I Am Alive is not directly on Amazon Luna, but Ubisoft+ subscribers with a powerful enough PC can play the game by downloading the Ubisoft Connect app.

Cold Fear (Only On PC)

PC Metascore: 66

In the mid-2000s, Ubisoft randomly decided to publish a Resident Evil-style survival horror game. Cold Fear looks out of place in Ubisoft's library, and this individuality is the main reason to revisit this forgotten project. On Ubisoft+, there just isn't anything else quite like Cold Fear. Centering around a coast guard, the story follows Tom Hansen as he investigates a whaler, a decision that puts him in the middle of the Bering Strait with zombies and mobsters for company.

In terms of gunplay, Cold Fear should hold no surprises for anyone who has experience with the early Resident Evil titles. The game's most distinctive feature is its setting, as the whaler constantly moves due to the rough weather. As the ship moves, so does Hansen, translating to a protagonist who can be unwieldy at times.

Like Zombi and I Am Alive, Cold Fear can only be played by installing the Ubisoft Connect app on a PC.

MORE: Amazon Luna Complete Guide: Channels, Games, & Features